Dear all
I'm just back from Bali, totally Rabies free. Kept these emails on file
so that I could report back. Dog situation is well under control in the
areas I visited - Ubud and it surrounds, temples, artists workshops,
blacksmiths, cafes and other places between Ubud and the Bali Botanic
Gardens. Lots of dogs hanging around at the gates of houses, they bark
at you in the evening but no sign of any viciousness and only a very few
in sorry condition. There has been a great effort to clean up the
problem with dogs being de-sexed and killed if no owners found. Much
better than Peru where I spent time in the 1980s and you had to throw
stones at the dogs and carry a stick.
So I think we can all rest assured there is not much to fear from the
Bali dogs nowadays - the monkeys are much worse. Grab anything you are
careless enough to let them see. We were warned all the time about them
but had no problems.
When I was in Bali in the late '90s, the place was over-run with great
numbers the most scrofulous, mangy curs I had ever seen. I was set on,
and nearly bitten twice in a week, in Ubud. I suggest carrying a stout
stick. I soon obtained a good length of rattan. It served well as a
walking stick and as a handy lathi.
I presume that the dog situation would not have improved, and now with
the presence of Rabies, I certainly would take considerable care.
Rabies prophylaxis is not a magic bullet. The US Centre for Disease
control says "pre- exposure prophylaxis might protect persons whose
postexposure therapy is delayed. Finally, it might provide protection
to persons at risk for unapparent exposures to rabies." This means
that you will still need curative injections, paricularly if you can't
get the head of the dog that bit you to a good rabies lab, which in
Bali, would be fairly difficult and expensive.
Cheers,
Carl Clifford
On 14/03/2009, at 12:47 AM, storm wrote:
Anyone going to Bali should be aware there is an uncontrolled rabies
outbreak presently on the island. You may want to consider prophylactic
vaccination prior to departure. Prophylactic vaccination is 3 doses
over a
month - post exposure is 5. Your doctor will be able to tell you more.
Bali was previous rabies free however some dogs who were ill were arrived
from another island in a boat. And the rest is history.
Be careful of any of the dogs as they are the primary carriers in this
outbreak.
cheers
storm
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